Pressure control valve

Abstract

The invention relates to a pressure control valve having a control element that includes a valve component and a drive component. The valve component include an orifice that, in a first position, may be closed by the control element, disconnecting a control chamber from a return chamber, such that a control pressure acts on a first control surface of the control element and in a second position, the orifice may be partially opened, so that the control and return chambers are fluidically connected to each other, such that the control pressure in the control chamber acts on a second control surface of the control element.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A pressure control valve, comprising:
 a valve component comprising:
 a control chamber having a control pressure, 
 a return chamber having a return pressure, 
 an orifice extending solely between the control chamber and the return chamber and having a longitudinal axis and comprising at least a first orifice region in a direction of the longitudinal axis and a second orifice region in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the orifice regions spaced apart from each other and having different respective cross-sectional areas, 
 a control element comprising at least a first control element region, including a first control surface, and a second control element region, including a second control surface, the control element regions spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis and having different respective cross-sectional areas, such that the second control surface is larger than the first control surface, 
 wherein the first control surface protruding into the orifice cooperates with the first orifice region to close the orifice, thereby preventing flow between the control chamber and the return chamber, and the second control surface cooperates with the second orifice region to control pressure between the control chamber and the return chamber, and 
 
 a drive component for the control element, 
 wherein, during operation of the control valve, the first control surface and a surface of the first orifice region remain parallel to each other, and the second control surface and a surface of the second orifice region remain parallel to each other. 
 
     
     
       2. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein, depending on the position of the drive component and the control element operatively connected to the drive component, the orifice is at least one of closed by the drive component and at least partially open for pressure control purposes. 
     
     
       3. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein a section having a uniform cross-sectional area is situated between the first and second control surfaces. 
     
     
       4. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein a control surface spacing between the first control surface and the second control surface is greater than an orifice region spacing between the first orifice region and the second orifice region. 
     
     
       5. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein at least one orifice region is embodied as at least one of a disk-shaped seat and a flat seat. 
     
     
       6. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein at least one control surface is embodied as a valve disk. 
     
     
       7. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of an internal width of the second orifice region and a diameter of the second orifice region forms a ratio of at least 1.4 with at least one of a respective internal width of the first orifice region and a diameter of the first orifice region. 
     
     
       8. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the valve component is selected from the group consisting of: metal, steel, brass, and plastic. 
     
     
       9. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the valve component has another sub-valve, which, in a closed position, disconnects the control chamber from a connection. 
     
     
       10. An electromagnetically actuated pressure control valve comprising the pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the drive component is an electromagnet, whose armature rod is at least one of connected to and operatively connected to the control element. 
     
     
       11. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein a section having a uniform cross-sectional area is situated between the first and second orifice regions. 
     
     
       12. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second control surface adjoin each other and are characterized by an abrupt, discontinuous change in the cross-sectional area. 
     
     
       13. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second orifice regions adjoin each other and are characterized by an abrupt, discontinuous change in the cross-sectional area. 
     
     
       14. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein at least one orifice region is embodied as a conical seat. 
     
     
       15. The pressure control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure control valve generates a progressive pressure control characteristic curve during operation. 
     
     
       16. The pressure control valve of  claim 4 , wherein a ratio of the control element region spacing to the orifice region spacing is between 1 and 3. 
     
     
       17. The pressure control valve of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio of the control element region spacing to the orifice region spacing is between 1 and 2. 
     
     
       18. The pressure control valve of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio of the control element region spacing to the orifice region spacing is between 1.2 and 1.4. 
     
     
       19. The pressure control valve of  claim 5 , wherein another of the at least one orifice regions is embodied as a conical seat. 
     
     
       20. The pressure control valve of  claim 6 , wherein another of the control surfaces is embodied as at least one of a valve cone and a truncated valve cone. 
     
     
       21. A pressure control valve, comprising:
 a valve component comprising:
 a control chamber having a control pressure, 
 a return chamber having a return pressure, 
 an orifice extending solely between the control chamber and the return chamber and having a longitudinal axis and comprising at least a first orifice region in a direction of the longitudinal axis and a second orifice region in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the orifice regions spaced apart from each other and having different respective cross-sectional areas, 
 a control element comprising at least a first control element region, including a first control surface, and a second control element region, including a second control surface, the control element regions spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis and having different respective cross-sectional areas, such that the second control surface is larger than the first control surface, 
 wherein the first control surface protruding into the orifice cooperates with the first orifice region to close the orifice, thereby preventing flow between the control chamber and the return chamber, and the second control surface cooperates with the second orifice region to control pressure between the control chamber and the return chamber, and 
 
 a drive component for the control element, 
 wherein during operation of the control valve, the control pressure is greater than or equal to the return pressure, and 
 (i) in a first position, the orifice is closed by the control element, such that the first control surface and a surface of the first orifice region remain parallel to each other, preventing fluid communication between the control chamber and the return chamber and the control pressure acts on the first control surface, and 
 (ii) in a second, controlled position, the orifice is partially open, such that the second control surface and a surface of the second orifice region remain parallel to each other, the control chamber and the return chamber are in fluid communication, and the control pressure acts on the second control surface, such that a distance between the first control surface and the second control surface is greater than a distance between the first orifice region and the second orifice region.